What's Blue?
Avon Dems Newsletter Issue 20
March 2025
SPRING INTO ACTION
Dear Friends,
Well, February was the longest year in history, right? Congratulations! We made it through. On to March: Women’s History Month! Let’s take guidance from the many women who refused to stay silent in the darkest, scariest times: Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, Malala Yousafzai, Ann Frank, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Marie Curie, Sally Ride, Amanda Gorman, Harriet Tubman, Toni Morrison, Frida Kahlo, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and so many more. They weren’t/aren’t perfect but they were/are brave. This women’s history month, we have a chance to speak up, speak out, and make ourselves heard. My challenge to each of you this month is to ENGAGE like these amazing women. We will send out events, meetings, protests, and other happenings as much as possible but things are moving really fast and sometimes it is hard to keep up. Please jump in! If you see an opportunity, involve yourself. And, it would be great if you could share it with us so we can push it out too. Don’t forget to drink your water!
xoxo, Eliza Avon DTC Chair
Next Avon DTC Monthly Meeting
2025 DTC meeting dates
- April 21
- May 12
- June 9
- July 14
- August 11
- September 8
- October 6
- November 10
March Events
Avon Town Happenings
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Town Manager & Council trim budget in ‘pivotal year’ for Avon
In February, the Town Manager presented his recommendations to the Town Council for the FY 25/26 budget. The high-level summary this year is that a 3% increase to the tax levy would be required to pay for running the town at last year’s expenditures. There are several reasons for this, including last year’s use of a one-time $1.25MM cash offset for the revaluation, a large decrease in the grand list due to the legislative changes (Veterans’ tax exemptions and new rules for vehicle assessments), and the loss of grant revenue for motor vehicle reimbursement.
As a 3% increase in taxes would be required to cover these, and as wages and benefits continue to increase, substantial reductions have been proposed to keep the levy increase below 5% total. No new staff is being added, year-over-year operating increases are only enough to cover contractual obligations, and capital projects are being kept to a minimum. Despite this, the Town Council is preparing more drastic steps in case voters again decide not to support existing services at the budget referendum. This has the potential to be a pivotal year in Avon’s history, one that sets the town back for decades in its efforts to provide high quality schools, public safety, and community. Please stay informed and involved.
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Council investigates sharing police and fire dispatch services
Avon, like most other municipalities, staffs its own public safety dispatch service. It has become increasingly difficult to fully staff this service, and any prolonged absences in staff quickly lead to excessive work conditions and are accompanied by longer response times. Over the past few months, we’ve engaged in a pilot program in which we share this service with Farmington overnight. At the February meeting, the chiefs of police and fire (Chief Melanson and Chief Appel) made the recommendation that Avon look to move to a full-time shared dispatch with Farmington. The presentations and discussion are available for review on the website. As a result, the Town Council granted permission to continue discussions with Farmington on a more permanent, full-time regionalization of dispatch services. In doing so we are told to expect better resilience, faster response times, and the freeing up of resources to dedicate to other police services (e.g., traffic patrol). No agreement has been reached, but this is a development the town is now actively pursuing.
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Board of Ed meets with legislators to push for equitable state funding
State Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw, State Sen. Paul Honig, and Executive Director of the School and State Finance Project, Lisa Hammersley attended our last Board of Education meeting. The Board’s intent was to provide a legislative update and learn more about the formula used to determine the amount of the state Education Cost Sharing grant provided to Avon. There are many components that contribute to the formula; however, the town’s wealth is a main driver of our receiving less state aid than our neighbors.
The entire Board signed a bi-partisan letter that will be sent to the Legislative Education Committee and the Special Committee assigned to assess Special Education expenses, as we have seen an increase in Special Education students due to the quality of our staff. We are hopeful for some relief, but we are always fiscally responsible in recognizing that Avon is seen as being capable of independently covering our needs.
And some great news: The Avon Public Schools music department received national recognition as one of the Best Communities for Music Education! Congratulations to all the hard-working music staff!
From The State Capitol
In an effort to lower energy costs in Connecticut, I have proposed legislation to authorize the state to utilize tax-exempt municipal bonding to finance energy infrastructure improvements. The proposal, Senate Bill 1040, would provide relief to ratepayers by reducing interest rates on borrowing for projects to modernize the energy grid. Currently, utility companies like Eversource and United Illuminating finance infrastructure improvements by borrowing from the corporate bond market, where those companies receive a guaranteed return on their investments.
For too long, Connecticut ratepayers have shouldered the burden of financing energy projects at inflated interest rates that benefit corporate utility monopolies. Families wouldn’t choose a high-interest loan when lower-cost financing is available, and our state shouldn’t either. By leveraging municipal bonding, we can significantly reduce the cost of critical energy infrastructure upgrades and deliver real relief to ratepayers while modernizing our grid. Although no single proposal will slash energy prices overnight, I believe it’s time to prioritize Connecticut residents over corporate profits and I hope this legislation will be part of the conversation.
I was proud to vote for a bill last week allocating $40 million in funding to special education, giving immediate support to more than 140 school districts in our state and helping to provide the highest quality education for our students. These critical resources will help ensure students receive the specialized support they need to thrive.
Since then, the governor has expressed concerns regarding this budget allocation and has suggested the possibility of a line-item veto. However, I remain optimistic that a workable agreement can be reached as we address this critical issue. My colleagues and I have heard from cities and towns across Connecticut that special education costs are squeezing local budgets. Students and families are dealing with the repercussions of a broken system, and while the legislature considers long-term solutions, we recognized our school districts needed immediate relief. Our ultimate goal is to achieve systemic reform to ensure sustainable funding in this arena.
Special education remains a legislative priority for House Democrats this session, and moving forward, we will continue looking for solutions to lower costs, strengthen services, and provide more financial support for our education system to make sure every child has access to the education they deserve.
Representatives from around the state held a conference advocating for the scans to prevent heart attacks. Coronary calcium scans help determine the risk of heart attacks or strokes in patients. "I am asking docters to really speak and talk to their patients about it but to build this awareness amongst the community so you can advocate for yourself," Exum said. The scan is about $200 if you pay out of pocket.
Exum shared her story about the scan after her husband unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack in 2023.
"This scan saves lives, it will continue to save lives, but it will save more if it is covered by insurance," Exum said. "But more importantly, it will save lives if we are aware of the scan"
State S.B. 1 passed last year with the help of Representative Exum and other co-sponsors from around the state. The new legislation requires insurance companies to cover the cost of the calcium scans. Watch Rep. Exum share her story.
What Can I Do?
Indivisible FVCT
Great guide from Indivisible FVCT with action items, news resources, apps and more!
Get The Guide
CT Dems
CT Dems Mobilize link for local events/happenings. Join a Caucus, support other towns in their great work, or sign up for an event.
Discover Opportunities
ACLU
They are on the frontlines working already on Medicaid and to defend the rights of ALL people. Please consider joining and donating to the important work they do!
Explore Details
5calls.org
Simple and easy guided calling to our elected officials on specific issues or generally. Please consider joining.
Learn More
Indivisible CT Guide
These folks host events and trainings around the state. This is a link to their guide and call to action.
View The Guide
Walking Forward
Join a group of like-minded folks for a walk, conversation and community. Every Saturday morning in March at 10:30 a.m. at the Thompson Brook School Rails to Trails entrance. ALL welcome!
March At A Glance
| 3/4/2025 | Inland Wetlands Commission |
| 3/6/2025 | Town Council |
| 3/11/2025 | Planning and Zoning Commission |
| 3/13/2025 | AWPCA meeting |
| 3/17/2025 | Avon Library Board of Directors |
| 3/19/2025 | Avon Clean Energy Commission |
| 3/20/2025 | Zoning Board of Appeals |
| 3/24/2025 | Board of Finance |
| 3/25/2025 | Board of Education |
| 3/27/2025 | Affordable Housing forum |
Attending any of these meetings is a great way to stay in the loop on town happenings. If you miss a meeting and want to catch up, click on one of the links at the bottom of this email. The links take you directly to the individual board or commission's agendas, minutes, and often recordings.
Get Caught Up
Use the links below to explore the agendas, minutes and recordings from previous meetings on the town website.
Paid for and approved by the Avon Democratic Town Committee, Claudine Fasano, Treasurer.